Huge. Brooding. Deep. This is bigger on the inside, a bottle-and-a-half of wine d'Arenberg somehow shoehorned into a single bottle. Aromas of blackberry, black pepper, seared meat, and tar boil up from the gl...

In preparation for Open That Bottle Night (live, only on Palate Press; Saturday, February 26 from 7 pm - 10 pm EST), contributor Erika Szymanski shares some thoughts on the bottle she plans to open for the event.

For those who fear wine websites only review wines they like, a tit-for-tat deal to ensure the steady flow of free samples, read on. Stewed cherries, black raspberries, and artificial vanilla flavor create a mish-mash that cannot be recommended. The Palate Press Grand Tasting panel awarded this an overly-generous two out of five stars.

Right off the bat it was like I dove head first into a rosemary bush and got a few sprigs shoved up my schnoz. I love rosemary and it’s a very distinctive aroma of the Syrah grape. Add that with some black olives and this was getting very interesting, indeed. The taste was also herbaceous with black fruit, slight minerality and medium spice on the finish.

The wine opens with huge jammy dark elderberry and black pepper. It has earth and brambles, giving it underlying depth and keeping it from qualifying as a "fruit bomb," but just barely. Licorice is more prono...